1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program and, in particular, to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program for acquiring a still image or a moving image indicating a motion sequence of a photographic subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
The related art is described in Japanese Patent No. 3449993, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-180259 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,123,275), Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-259477 (a divisional application of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-180259), and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-359777 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,146,022).
As shown in FIG. 32, a “motion sequence image” is used in, for example, sports training.
A motion sequence image is generated by acquiring images of a moving human or a subject (a moving subject) at predetermined characteristic times (key-frame times) and, subsequently, arranging the images in space. Thus, a motion sequence can be easily recognized. A motion sequence image is generated such that images of a moving subject are spatially arranged even when the moving subject does not spatially move. In general, a motion sequence image is generated by drawing a picture. However, in some cases, by manually clipping part of an image from each photo and arranging the partial images, a motion sequence image can be also generated.